V Festival tech

[bobby2000]

Hi all, I'm 18 and work for a lighting and sound company in essex. I've worked at festivals for upto 4000 people designing, patching, programming, and operating the lighting myself and also have experience as a sound engineer for similar events.

 

I'm looking to get pratical experience at V festival in chelmsford this year, not to get free entry as I've already bought a ticket, but to literally just watch how the professionals are doing it on a much larger scale, layouts etc as well as seeing the kit used at such events. Does anybody have any advice at all as to how I could go about doing this or could pm me contact details of anyone that might be able to help? If not at V then at other events as I've contacted many local companies but none of these are involved in large events.

 

Thanks,

[Aaron-Hill07]

Two main companies for V Festivals are SSE Audio and Neg Earth Lights.

 

You can give those both a call, but I wouldn't expect anything. You've unfortunately got it wrong in your approach.. you don't contact a company for experience on particular gigs. Especially with companies so big, you have to be there for a good while and prove yourself first before you get put on such gigs!

[bobby2000]

Two main companies for V Festivals are SSE Audio and Neg Earth Lights.

 

You can give those both a call, but I wouldn't expect anything. You've unfortunately got it wrong in your approach.. you don't contact a company for experience on particular gigs. Especially with companies so big, you have to be there for a good while and prove yourself first before you get put on such gigs!

 

thanks aaron, as I've already got my own ticket, are they more likely to let me "sit in" as such?

[Aaron-Hill07]

Very much doubt it. To be honest Jack, you'll learn more by doing the rig than watching people operate desks etc.

 

Larger events are things that you'll get to in time, experience is key!

 

If you don't mind me asking, where abouts are you based? I'm Essex based too so maybe I can get you on some shows with me for more experience etc. Give me a PM with some more details!

 

Thanks,

Aaro

[Smiffy]

Hi Jack:

 

If you were contacting me and I was the hypothetical LD responsible for 'The Biggish Mad Stage Thing at the Festival', the answer would probably be a resolute No. A festival is a really busy environment, with a lot of changeovers going on, a lot of people getting in each others way, and a lot that needs to happen spot on, without error or erring, in a VERY short space of time. Any people that are floating around that aren't supposed to be there with a job to do (and I include in that list promoters rep's, artists 'entourage' and general liggers and hangers on, all of whom have the appropriate passes and so by definition are 'entitled' to be there) do get in the way, and are, frankly, a real pain in the arse.

 

The LD or whatever of the stage that you are sitting in on, has likely got a visiting LD dealing with the band currently on stage who may need them to snap to it if something goes to ######, or he/she has a question or can't stop the smoke, or whatever. they've also probably got the LD for the next act asking questions, and trying to blind programme their console for their set, then there's quite possibly the Production Manager on to them on the radio, or in person (in an already tight on space FOH tower) with updated info for the overnight changeover, and god knows how many other issues or crises that need sorting out then and there. Their down time is limited, and when we get it, we don't want to spend our time talking someone through the same thousand questions and queries that we've already answered face to face to people that are being paid to be there all day, as well as having spent all the previous week emailing the same.

 

The fact is, it's just unlikely to happen... Ticket or not.

 

The best way to see and experience a concert, stage show, theme park, play, musical, TV show, etc is to sit and watch it and experience it. Putting a rig up for a festival is no different to any other gig. It's just faster / bigger / higher stress. Watch the shows to learn what the people do. If you've got questions afterwards, then drop the LD an email, most of them are happy to answer a question or two about their work.

 

Enjoy the gig

 

Smiffy

[brainwave-generator]

Hi Jack:

 

If you were contacting me and I was the hypothetical LD responsible for 'The Biggish Mad Stage Thing at the Festival', the answer would probably be a resolute No. A festival is a really busy environment, with a lot of changeovers going on, a lot of people getting in each others way, and a lot that needs to happen spot on, without error or erring, in a VERY short space of time. Any people that are floating around that aren't supposed to be there with a job to do (and I include in that list promoters rep's, artists 'entourage' and general liggers and hangers on, all of whom have the appropriate passes and so by definition are 'entitled' to be there) do get in the way, and are, frankly, a real pain in the arse.

 

The LD or whatever of the stage that you are sitting in on, has likely got a visiting LD dealing with the band currently on stage who may need them to snap to it if something goes to ######, or he/she has a question or can't stop the smoke, or whatever. they've also probably got the LD for the next act asking questions, and trying to blind programme their console for their set, then there's quite possibly the Production Manager on to them on the radio, or in person (in an already tight on space FOH tower) with updated info for the overnight changeover, and god knows how many other issues or crises that need sorting out then and there. Their down time is limited, and when we get it, we don't want to spend our time talking someone through the same thousand questions and queries that we've already answered face to face to people that are being paid to be there all day, as well as having spent all the previous week emailing the same.

 

The fact is, it's just unlikely to happen... Ticket or not.

 

The best way to see and experience a concert, stage show, theme park, play, musical, TV show, etc is to sit and watch it and experience it. Putting a rig up for a festival is no different to any other gig. It's just faster / bigger / higher stress. Watch the shows to learn what the people do. If you've got questions afterwards, then drop the LD an email, most of them are happy to answer a question or two about their work.

 

Enjoy the gig

 

Smiffy

 

That's the advice I'd take.

 

It's not that people don't want to support 'the next generation' or have you learn, but it's that, whilst it might seem all big and fun to you, it's just another day at the office for us, only with 3x as many bands as our normal office holds; with people we've never met before speaking all different languages, and all sorts of other issues arising which wouldn't happen in your well-honed venue.

 

To be honest, you'd probably just ask somebody 'so what's that?' and they'd be like 'GET THE !!!! OUT OF MY FACE CAN'T YOU SEE I HAVE A JOB TO DO???' and after 2 days you'd probably think everyone was just horrible.

 

The other thing is, I think you should get on some small stuff first, rather than being like "I want to work at the top, so I'm going to skip out all your n00bs in the middle and go straight there". If you're already doing big gigs up to 4000 that's good, but it's a fairly natural progression and whilst you need to push yourself, standing around taking up valuable floor space and breathing valuable oxygen at a festival is the fast track to getting somebody !!!!!'d off. And you may later find they are a very important person in the industry and your career would be easier if their first impression of you wasn't as a pain in the hoop student standing around getting in the way. And don't say "I wouldn't get in the way" - Festival stages and production areas are small and every inch gets used, so the only way to keep out of the way is to watch the show from the other side of the barrier! Which I suggest... is what you do!

[Pete McCrea]

All true stuff from the guys above. I'm putting crews together for the video side of a couple of festival type jobs over the summer, and much as I'd love to help the next generation, unfortunately these sorts of events aren't really the place to be able to do it. Each person on that team has to pull their weight and work together.

 

Now if you'd been in touch early in the year, spent some time in the warehouse, maybe done a freebie gig or two, then there are chances that we'd have looked to put that person out as a junior crew person, knowing that they'd be able to pull the right end of a cable. Even then budget and accommodation might mean that we can't do that (different for the OP as your already there, but useful for the other readers to know)

 

Obviously you can do that from what you say, so you should have no problem approaching SSE etc with a CV and looking to get onto their crewing list.